Defined as the ability of a joint to move throughout its full range of motion, exercises that focus on mobility are growing in popularity. That’s thanks to the gentler, more relaxed approach to self-care and exercise that many people are adopting, as well as the fact that working from home minimizes daily movement and makes our bodies feel creaky and stiff.
Movement has also become a buzzword associated with stretching or yoga, but that is its own modus operandi.
Coach Charlee Atkins, CSCS, of Le Sweat TV, previously said, “Stretching and yoga are not mobility. “Certainly, there are movement elements that exist in stretching and yoga classes. However, mobility involves control and functioning through the entire range of motion of each joint, usually under tension or by creating tension. Stretching is passive, and I liken yoga to a series of movements that target multiple joints at once.”
Your hips, spine, feet, shoulders, and really any part of your body that has joints can all benefit from regular adjustments to motor tasks. But the good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time on these exercises, which is why we’ve rounded up some of our favorite movement routines that you can do in 20 minutes or less than. Some focus on specific body parts and others emphasize different complementary techniques, like strength training or yoga. But all of them will make you feel more comfortable, more lubricated, and better able to move around the world. Here are 11 mobility exercises with movements to start regularly incorporating into your life in the new year.
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Your joints need maximum range of motion to do exercises like squats and shoulder presses most effectively, so mobility and strength training go hand in hand. is natural. In this 16-minute workout, you’ll do moves like the 4th crunch to engage your legs and open your hips, as well as the YW move to activate your back muscles and challenge shoulder mobility.
In this 15-minute workout, a long loop resistance band will help you loosen up your joints and strengthen the muscles that support good posture, including your shoulders, back, and core. Sitting in the same position for long periods of time can shorten your muscles and stiffen your joints. This workout is the antidote you need.
Starting your day with some exercise can increase blood flow, which will benefit both your brain and your body. Make this 10-minute exercise routine the first thing you do (okay, maybe second, after your morning coffee).
You can actually do these four moves in bed. Try relaxing into a more peaceful state of mind by relaxing the day with movements like hip rotation, butterfly sitting, and cat crawl.
Being active can help you stay fit and active as you age. An occupational therapist shared with us six moves that can help protect you from falls and preserve your freedom to navigate the world.
Get ready to work those joints limb by limb in this 12-minute workout. It includes standards like the cat crawl and creative combo moves like the runner’s twist.
Your foot is a “mobility adapter,” which means it moves around to make changes based on what’s really underfoot. That requires movable foot joints for all the little moving parts that keep you steady. This four-minute sequence will keep your feet in tip-top shape.
You’ll get 360-degree movement in your hip joints with this 12-minute lower-body workout. Take that, the couch.
Can your spine twist and bend in a way that takes advantage of all those mobile vertebrae? If you spend most of your day standing still, it can help to relax a bit. These five moves, starting with the classic cat-cow owl, will do the trick.
Hip mobility is important for runners because it affects your stride length and your ability to mobilize all the muscles needed to go all the way. This mobility-based 10-minute warm-up will get your hips ready to help you fly.
Yoga naturally incorporates a lot of movement, so if you’re new to movement this could be a great place to start. We admit we’re cheating a bit here: This is the only exercise on this list that lasts more than 20 minutes. But trust us, you’ll want every minute of this fascinating routine.
